Wingate anaerobic test as a potential predictor of 500-m time in short track speed skating

Short-Track Speed Skating (STSS) is an Olympic discipline in which anaerobic performance plays a central role. An established assessment tool for anaerobic performance in STSS athletes is the Wingate Anaerobic Test (WAnT). The aim of this study was to investigate whether WAnT could be used as a predictor of sport-specific performance in the STSS 500-m races. Data from 72 German national STSS athletes (33 female, 39 male) were analysed retrospectively. The statistical analyses included descriptive procedures as well as linear mixed-model analyses. The results showed significant correlations between WAnT outcomes and 500 -m performance of STSS athletes. In male athletes, the coefficients were -0.40 for relative Mean Power (rMP) and -0.32 for relative Peak Power (rPP) (p < 0.001). For female athletes, the rMP showed no significant correlation whereas rPP was significantly correlated with a coefficient of -0.41 (p < 0.001). Marginal R² values ranged between 0% and 12%. Conditional R² reached up to 76% depending on sex and WAnT parameter investigated. In conclusion while WAnT can be regarded as a potential predictor of time in 500-m STSS races, it should be used in conjunction with other performance metrics and individualized assessments to better predict performance.